New Delhi, May 13 (IANS): Amid reports of vaccine shortage coming from different parts of the country, the Centre and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech on Thursday exppressed their willingness to invite other companies to produce Covaxin in a bid to ramp up vaccine production in the country.

Welcoming the Centre's decision, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted, "We are very glad that Central government has agreed to allow other companies to manufacture Covaxin. We sincerely hope they will consider our other suggestion of importing vaccines as One Nation and not as different states seriously as well."

Earlier in the day, the Union Health Ministry said, "Two Central government PSUs, namely Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL) and BIBCOL, have entered into a technology transfer agreement with Bharat Biotech. In addition, one state government undertaking, Haffkine Institute, has also entered into a technology transfer agreement with Bharat Biotech."

As a result of this intervention of the Central government, Indian Immunologicals Limited will be in a position to start production of Covaxin from September 2021, while Haffkine Institute and BIBCOL will start production of Covaxin from November 2021, the statement said.

The Union Health Ministry mentioned that the government of India presently is also engaged in proactive dialogue with Bharat Biotech and some other PSUs, as well as private companies to execute technology transfer agreements.

"This would further enhance and augment the production of Covaxin in the country," it said.

On May 11, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had demanded that the Central government should take the formula for producing vaccines from Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India and give it to all those companies which can safely manufacture the vaccines.